Early British heavy shells exposed serious quality-control problems. The fuze could detonate on contact or too soon after impact instead of waiting until the shell had penetrated armour. That reduced the intended armour-piercing effect and helps explain disappointing performance. A 13.5-inch or 15-inch projectile still carried enough mass to cause major damage even when the bursting charge did not function as designed.
Notable Point · 1:29:43-1:35:05
British shell fuzes and Greenboy quality control
British heavy shells suffered from fuze and quality-control defects, yet their mass still delivered damaging kinetic impact.